The FBI, the city's bomb squad and Department of Public Works have a plan to remove trash cans and newspaper stands from specified locations along the race course, but authorities are not disclosing the exact locations.

Two race cycling teams will also run sweeps on the course, acting as eyes and ears once they complete their escort assignments with elite runners and disabled hand cyclists.

Fred Baldassare, manager of the Freddie Fu Cycling Team, said they will be equipped with cameras mounted on their helmets.

"We'll all be doing continuous loops on the course looking at areas, scanning intersections," said Baldassare.

Earlier, the U.S. Postal Service said it will temporarily remove mailboxes along the Pittsburgh Marathon course as a security precaution for the race on Sunday.

Marathon director Patrice Matamoros said trash cans and newspaper stands will also be removed.

"It's actually very strategic, how they're addressing that and their strategy. I'm not privy to all of it, but I do know that they're addressing it at every level and at every place along the course, at the start and finish line," Matamoros said on Wednesday.

The moves are among several being taken by local, county, state and federal officials after the Boston Marathon bombings last month.

"In some areas, they will be removed. In other areas, they won't be removed," Matamoros said. "I don't have the details about that, but what they do is they make determinations in terms of location, in terms of what is where, and what they will remove and what they won't remove."

In a written statement, the Postal Service said mailboxes will start to be removed on Saturday. Regular mail collection will resume on Monday.

In Photos: 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon

1 of 141

Pittsburgh Marathon 2012 - 001

Over 25,000 people took part in the 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday in very warm weather conditions. This was the scene in downtown Pittsburgh around 7 a.m. Sunday morning. Scroll through this slideshow for photos from the course. You can also look through photos sent in by other WTAE.com users.